March was a great time to be a Formula 1 fan and a reader as there were several books that had been published on the sport, and the season started up again in full swing. One of the books that I had read was On the Grid: Life Behind the Scenes of Formula 1, which I had seen months ago, and luckily remembered by the time publishing came around.
I have read many, many books about Formula 1, and even watched quite a few documentaries because I had a lot of catch-up to do when I first became a fan. I would say that this is the book I had when I first became a fan.
On the Grid: Life Behind the Scenes of Formula 1 is written by motorsport journalist Luke Smith. It provides insight, information, and a view of Formula 1 that I have never seen before in one novel, which is one of the reasons I would highly recommend it. The book is broken down by subjects that are relevant to Formula 1, and each has a dedicated chapter that explores its relevance to the sport, talks to key people, or references key anecdotes, and continues to build on what has been discussed before.
Formula 1 is a vast sport that carries obstacles, triumphs, and passion. Smith dedicates chapters to each of these, so everything you could want to learn about Formula 1 as an operation, business, and community is available. Formula 1 is a complex entity that has flaws, but also has the allure of prestige, history, and competition.
What I particularly enjoyed about this book was the way it felt like a deep look into the sport. Oftentimes, Smith is able to speak directly to drivers or people in the paddock. There's a combination of his firsthand experiences, expertise, and ideas, and those of people who have different roles and outlooks in the sport.
For example, he talks about the ability of Formula 1 to bring people together. It becomes a family event for fans and is often a goal shared between a driver and their family. He highlights this when talking about discovering Formula 1 on TV and finding out his mom had watched it in the past. It became something personal for them, like it does for many of the drivers and their families.
This element makes the On the Grid more personal while balancing the factual and informative aspects. It is simultaneously interesting to read because of what can be learned and the emotions that can be evoked.
For a book that details Formula 1, it does a great job of balancing many subjects with personal anecdotes/experiences, and information taken from other insiders.